Evening Prayer

A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew.

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

1 The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people    was the high priest, Simon son of Onias, who in his life repaired the house,    and in his time fortified the temple. 11 When he put on his glorious robe and clothed himself in perfect splendour, when he went up to the holy altar, he made the court of the sanctuary glorious. 12 When he received the portions from the hands of the priests,    as he stood by the hearth of the altar with a garland of brothers around him,    he was like a young cedar on Lebanon    surrounded by the trunks of palm trees. 13 All the sons of Aaron in their splendour    held the Lord’s offering in their hands    before the whole congregation of Israel. 14 Finishing the service at the altars,    and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty, 15 he held out his hand for the cup    and poured a drink-offering of the blood of the grape; he poured it out at the foot of the altar,    a pleasing odour to the Most High, the king of all. 16 Then the sons of Aaron shouted;    they blew their trumpets of hammered metal; they sounded a mighty fanfare    as a reminder before the Most High. 17 Then all the people together quickly fell to the ground on their faces to worship their Lord, the Almighty, God Most High. 18 Then the singers praised him with their voices    in sweet and full-toned melody. 19 And the people of the Lord Most High offered    their prayers before the Merciful One, until the order of worship of the Lord was ended,    and they completed his ritual. 20 Then Simon came down and raised his hands    over the whole congregation of Israelites, to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips,    and to glory in his name; 21 and they bowed down in worship a second time, to receive the blessing from the Most High. 22 And now bless the God of all,    who everywhere works great wonders, who fosters our growth from birth,    and deals with us according to his mercy. 23 May he give us gladness of heart,    and may there be peace in our days    in Israel, as in the days of old. 24 May he entrust to us his mercy, and may he deliver us in our days!